Driven is just shy of a fifty-minute improv set that shifts between thick free-jazz tangles, atmospheric pare backs, and weaving builds. It’s a release that grabs & takes the listener on a true sonic ride- from the densest highest to the moodier lows.

The release is presented in a glossy four-panel colour digipak, which features pictures of battered ‘n’ rusted junk yard car. It appears on Austria’s Klanggalerie, who of late has been releasing quite a few titles within the improv/ free jazz genres, and this CD is another welcome addition to that trend.

The set was recorded on April 24th 2022, at the Roadburn Festival- which took place in Tilbug Holland. The Quintet brings together Martina Verhoeven-Piano, Gonçalo Almeida-Double Bass, Onno Govaert -Drums, Dirk Serries -Guitar, Colin Webster- Saxophone.  

The set opens with a mixture of bounding low-key darts & mid-to-higher runs and light percussive rattles. These are fairly soon added to by tight twanging guitar hacks, and buzzing in bottle sax honks. Then slowly but surely the carefully created free jazz chaos unfolds & tightens its grip on you, with ones head becoming dizzy from following first one instrumental trail after another- to where they meet, where they break, or where they pull the sonic tangle off in a different tangent.

At around the eight-minute, we suddenly drop back into light funk, to darkly strummed guitar tones- which is edged by hacking bass forks, and slowly boiling sax tonality. All create a feeling of battle-worn & slightly forlorn moodiness. In due course slicing ‘n’ snapping percussion detail are added, along with clunking piano tolls- and just when you think it’s all going take off/ thicker up again we shift to tight key tinkles, subdued bass fiddles, and darting guitar plucks & hacks- with folds of expressive sax appearing, and both the tenseness & density starts to build once more.

I won’t go into detail the remaining twenty or so minutes, as this would rather spoil- the twist ‘n’ turns and highs ‘n’ lows of the set. But you can be certain it’s an eventful, and rewarding ride that often doesn’t go quite where you're expect it to go- which of course is what a great improv set is all about.

Put simply Driven is a thoroughly engaging example of the live improvised form, played with great flare, vein-pumping vigour, and vision by this five-piece project. For those who like their free jazz, daring & unpredictable.